Vatican City, Jan 8, 2008 / 05:54 am (CNA).- The Congregation for the Clergy has launched a worldwide Eucharistic adoration campaign for the holiness of priests and for vocations to the priestly life. One particular focus of the new effort is to pray for the victims of clergy sexual abuse.

According to Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, the head of the Vatican dicastery, the purpose of the initiative is for there to be somebody, somewhere, praying for priests every hour of the day before the Blessed Sacrament, as well as imploring the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

Hummes, the head of the Vatican ministry for the clergy, said a letter was sent to "dioceses, parishes, rectories, chapels, monasteries, convents and seminaries" calling on them to organise groups of "adorers". The letter asks the faithful "to make amends before God for the evil that has been done and hail once more the dignity of the victims", who had suffered from the "moral and sexual conduct of a very small part of the clergy.”

Women were also mentioned as important members of this new initiative. “The vocation to be a spiritual mother to priests is not well known, poorly understood and therefore not commonly practiced, despite its vital importance. Regardless of age, all women can be spiritual mothers to a priest”, the congregation noted. Women are also encouraged to pray anonymously for a specific priest and to spiritual accompany him.

Another aim of the initiative is to promote the creation of new Eucharistic shrines and perpetual adoration chapels. Adorers are also encouraged to make reparation for the “moral and sexual misconduct of a very small portion of the clergy.”